Job Description

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP’s water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is charged with promoting diversity and encouraging consistency and fairness in our employment practices, promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our business.

The Agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity (EEO&D) Office is responsible for ensuring compliance with the City’s EEO Policy, and works in partnership with Organizational Development, Human Resources, Labor Relations and Bureau Management to meet the City’s mandates for compliance with all applicable anti-discrimination and harassment laws and protections, as well as its diversity and inclusion commitments.

The Agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Office seeks to hire an EEO Investigator Specialist who will report directly to the Assistant Commissioner of EEO&D or the Assistant Commissioner’s designee, and will play a critical role in supporting DEP’s compliance with applicable workplace standards and best practices, as well as fostering a diverse workforce that values inclusion.

The selected candidate’s primary function will be to analyze, evaluate and conduct fact finding investigations concerning complaints of discrimination filed by employees; perform EEO legal work and research of fact and questions of law. In addition, the EEO Investigator Specialist will be tasked with interviewing charging parties, witnesses and respondents to obtain facts relevant to charges of discriminatory employment practices. These cases can be based on such factors as age, race, color, religion, disability, retaliation, sex and national origin.

The selected candidate will make written requests for clarification from the employee and/or seek documented evidence supporting their claims. The EEO Investigator Specialist would also collect documentation about agency policies and procedures and statistical evidence relevant to the complaint of discrimination.

The EEO Investigator Specialist will be engaged in activities including, but not limited to, writing an investigative plan and reports; outlining case questions to be asked and determining which documents to request; contacting bureau administrator and/or EEO liaisons for additional information; gathering all relevant supporting documents; recommending penalties and resolutions; and providing advice on EEO legal matters.

The selected candidate will also be responsible for planning, scheduling and presenting mandated training and educational presentations to employees on various EEO topics including diversity management, sexual harassment prevention, and other human rights topics. These trainings and presentations will include information on EEO laws and regulations which prohibit discrimination in the workplace, managers and supervisors’ obligations and responsibilities and employee rights and responsibilities.

Qualifications

1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.